Thermostatic regulator.



No. 825,328. PATENTED JULY 10, 1906.

J. J. LAWLER. THERMOSTATIG REGULATOR.

APPLICATION FILED SEPT.15- 1904.

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TINTTE STATES A NT O ICEQ JAMES J. LAWLER,O F MOUNT. VERNON, NEW YORK.

THERMQSTATIC REGULATOR.

Specification" of Letters Patent. Application filed September 15, 1904. Serial No. 224,548.

Patented Jury 10, 1906.

To all whom, it may concern:

Be it known that I, JAMES J. LAWLER, a citizen of the United States, residing at Mount Vernon, county of 'Westchester, State of New York, have invented a new and useful- Improvement in Thermostatic Regulators, of which the following is a specification;

My invention relates to thermostatic regulators for hot water systems and the like, the

object being to produce a simple device which is automatically actuated by the circulation of the fluid, air, or steam passing therethrough for the purpose of openin or closing the draft of the heater to which t e thermostat is attached and for other purposes.

In the accompanying drawings, which form part of this specification, Figure 1 re resents a side elevation of my invention; ig. 2, a cross-sectional View on line X X of Fig. 1,- Fig. 3, a top plan viewof the up er and lower fittings. Fig. 4 is a view of t e lever connection when the thermostat is ositioned horizontally, as will be more fully ereinafter described; and Fig. 5 is a diagrammatical view showing the application of my thermostatic regulator to a steam-boiler.

Similar reference characters indicate simi- 1 lar parts in the several views.

' ting, and 3 is a lower fitting, provi .threads at opposite ends to connect-said fitvided With webs6 6 1 is a tube, preferably made of brass or copper 'of 'a suitable temper. 2 is an u per fited with tings with tube 1 and pipes 4 and 5, being, respectively, the upper and lower heater or boiler connection. These at diametrically opposite sides, into which the flat ends 7 of the arms closely fit and articulate. A bolt 9 acts as the pivotal bearing. The arms 8 8 8 8 are cruciform in cross-section, being formed in that shape for the purpose of maklng them light and rigid. All of the four arms are of exactly the same length, two being connected with each other by a knuckle-joint, as shown at 10 11, and when thus connected each set or pair of arms form an obtuse angle on each side of the tube 1. One arm 8 is rovided with a flattened disk 12, perforate for the passage of a screw or bolt 13, which connects two curved stra s 14 15 to said arm. Arm 8' has an outwardl -extending lug 16, provided with two parallel disks 17, provided with a bolt 18.

19 is a link which is connected to the lug 16 to form a knuckle-joint and with the two fittings are procurved straps 14 15, to which it is connected by a bolt 20. This link is provided with a curved extension 19, having a flat side which projects beyond the arm 14, as shown in Fig. 2. On the face of this fiat side there are three screws 21 22 23. Two of these screws hold a lever 24 in place, either as shown in Fi s, 1 and 2, when the thermostat is in vertioa position, or as is shown in Fig. 4, whichshows the link mechanism when the thermostat is in horizontal position, as shown by dotted lines in Fig. 1. p

On the free end of the lever'24 I show a sim le pin-and-spring method of adjusting thelbverin a flat metal strip 25, having a series of perforations 26, adapted to engage the pin-27 of the leve 29 is a flat spring. The flat strip is laced in the run or length of a chain 28, w 'ch may connect with a dooror damper (not shown) or to any other device, such as an indicator or alarm. -A coiled spring 30 is preferably fastened to the flat strip, so that in case of any twist or shortening of the chain such an event will not affect the workin of the thermostat, as will be more fully hereinafter explained in the op- .eration. 4

In the construction of m important that there be no 0st motion in any direction, and to prevent side or b'ack-andforward movement I providev the fittings 2 and 3 with webs, and at all the pointswhere the several other'I use nuckle or hinge 'oints, so that any motion that is had in the (l on a plane through the center line-that is to say, the expansion or-contraction of the center tube compels the two sets of arms to diverge and converge in the same plane.

By connecting the lower end of the link 19 to the arm 8 by means of the curved straps 14 15 and the upper end of said link to arm 8 a novel compound lever mechanism is had wherein the pivotal and fulcrum points describe a circle when thedevice is in operadevice it is very lparts are connected with each 1 evice must be ICO tion, said points not having any fixed position, as wi be explained inthe operation.

In Fig. 5 of the drawings I have shown my invention as applied to a boiler for the pur pose of regulating the steam-supply to a coil contained in said boiler, and in this view the pipe 4 is connected to a hot-water-supply pipe 31, connected to the boiler 31, while the pipe 5'is connected to a waste-pipe 32. In this application of my invention the chain 28 is passed over the sheaves 33 and has its lower I ward, thus end connected to the weighted lever 34, which is ivotally attached to the valve-stem 35 of a va ve 36 on the pipe 37, which conveys the steam-supply to a coil within the boiler.

Theapparatus when applied in the manner shown in Fig. 5 of the drawings operates in the manner above described, the operation of course resulting in the movement of valve 36 to regulate the steam passing through the pipe 37.

1 Such being the construction of my improved device, the operation is as follows: WVe will consider the thermostat connected to a boilerin a vertical position, as shown in Fig. 1, the pipes 4 and 5 being connected with the boiler in such a manner that the'water will circulate through the tube 1 at about the same temperature as the water in the heater or boiler. When thefire is started and the desired temperature-is reached, the free end of the lever 24 is attached to the fiat metal strip at a suitable oint. The chain connects at its upper en with a smoke-pipe or damper-regulator, (not shown,) while the lower end connects with the air-door of the heater. (Also not shown.) When the temperature of the water changes, the brass or copper tube is affected by such changes very quickly. I find a variation of three degrees in the water will actuate the lever. If the water gets hotter, the tube will expand and cause the arms to move toward the center or inward, whereby the lever is actuated by the straps pushing outward against the leverlink-19 at the bottom, the arm 8 simultaously pulling the upper end of said link inroducing a compound lever movement, W ich causes the free end of the lever to be lowered, this movement opening the damper and closing the air-door for the of reducing the temperature of the purpose If the lever travels farther than is re water.

quire'd, it sometimes happens. that the'links' vof the lower chain get twisted and the chain shortened, and when the waterin the heater gets below a certain temperature the tube contracts andcaus'es the free end of the lever to rise bymeans of'the straps and link, shutting the damper in the'smoke-pipe and raising the door; but as the chain may have been shortened by a twist the s ring yields 1' when the chain is taut, so t at no damage .will be done to the thermostat or its delicate adjustment affected in any manner.

If the thermostat is connected up horizontally, then the screws 22 and 23 of the link 19 hold the lever 24 in position, the operation being the same as described. Fi 4 shows this connection, and when the rawing is turned to the left the dot-and-dash lines show the position of the lever in Fig.1, the thermostat then being in a horizontal position.

I have described my thermostat. as being attached to a heater or boiler; but it is equa ly effective when steam passes through water.

and the like, com

the tube, or the device may be placed in the hot-water service of a house, where it will quickly and automatically re ulate the heating means; I have also foun. it practical as an alarm or as a means for making an electrical connection, either by itself or in connection with a regulating means, so that a person at a I position of the leveror temperature of the I do not show any electrical connec- .tions, because they are so easily applied that .anyone familiar with the art can adapt a means to suit his particular requirements.

In a device of this kind it is of the utmost importance that there is no lost motion and that the slightest difference in the length of distance can be informed of the the tube 1 is transmitted to the lever. For this reason I provide all joints with either webs and disks or knuckle-j oints to prevent a backand-forwardmovement, as explained. With my construction the slightest variation in the angles formed by the upper and lower arms are compounded by means of the strap-and link movement, the free end of thelever showing considerable movement even when there is no visible movement of the arms. By

forming the arms quatrefoil in cross-section or flat, with a rib'on each side, they can be cast in iron, being made light and yet rigid, with no liability to spring or bend.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim as new, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is

1. A thermostatic regulator comprising an expansible' pipe, fittings at each endthereof, arms arrangedin pairs at opposite sides of the pipe, each pair of arms having their meap ends ivoted to one another and their extreme en s pivoted to the said fittings, one of said arms being formed with an extension,

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a pair of straps, each of said straps havin its one end. ivoted tonne of the arms an its other end exten'ding be end the arms on the opposite side of the sai pipe, a link connecting said straps with the said extension of one of the arms, and an actuating means carried by said link.

2. A thermostatic regulator for dampers rising an expansible pipe, a fitting arrange at each end thereof, each fitting carryingv on its opposite sides a pair of aperturedlugs', arms arranged in pairs at oposite sides of 'the pipe, the arms of each pair aving their extreme ends pivoted to the corresponding pairof lugs on each fitting, and having their mean ends pivoted toeach other, an extension carried-by one of the arms of one pair, a air of straps pivotally connected to one of t e armsof the oppositapair of arms,

said straps havlng' their ends extendin beond the other'pair of arms, abrackete link aving its ends pivotally connected to said extension and to the projectin end of said straps, an actuatingfilever fixe bracketed link and a'ving its freeend proto the said p by to connect the sai vided With a flat sprin carrying astud Wherelever with a metallic strip, the said strip being provided with a vertically-disposed series of apertures to permit the relative adjustment of the lever thereon, and having one end attached to the principal connection and the other end resiliently attached to a similar connection.

3. A thermostatic regulator, comprisin an expansible pipe, afitting mounted on eac end of said pipe,'-,ar ms arranged inpairs at opposite sides of the pipe, the armsof'each pairbeing givotally connected together at one end, an

otally connected to the fittings, a strap plvhaving their extreme "ends pivotally connected to one arm of one of the pairs of arms, a link pivotally connected at its one end to said strap, and at its other end to one of the arms on the side of the pipe opposite to that Where the strap is pivoted, and a lever rigidly connected to saidlinkf In testimony whereof I have signed my name to this specification, in the presence of two subscribing Witnesses, this 9th day of September, 1,904.

JAMES J. LAWLER.

Witnesses: v

ROBT. W. WARD, GASTON E. CORDEA 

